The Fairy Diary Day 344 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Sitting atop the tower did much to clear my head. From  that height I watched the former dark elves stream out of the city below – some exiting the quickest way by the canyonlands – others via the gate to the Low-way to travel to the other access points along that route. 

There I was basking in the contentment flowing from the happy conclusion to our recent efforts when a cold cloud of fear descended upon me. A tingling in my back between my wings soon had me shivering all over. 

I looked down and saw that the pedestal upon which the chalice had once stood was icing over. 

I leapt back when the shivering ceased and the hot passion of the bloodlust was enveloping me. 

I shrugged it off and dove off the tower and flew to my friends. And related this disturbing incident to them.

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The Fairy Diary Day 341 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The effects from yesterday’s battle and the events surrounding our victory continue to ripple as we dig deeper into its meaning. 

Just as my actions had freed the Dromadil pixies from under the grips of the bloodlust, so too have the dark elves undergone a transformation. This fact both Nililitil and Navril have remarked upon. A feeling of good cheer and fellowship has sprung up between these former enemies. 

Noralei has spent quite some time examining the chalice and its contents. And she has come to the conclusion that it is filled with a special form of the red ash. She then expressed what we all were thinking – we long for Merlin to be here with us and explain these mysteries. For though the present crisis has passed, in another respect I think it has only begun.

The Fairy Diary Day 322 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

We have decided – together – to continue on the Low-way and to go to the aid of Nililitil’s forces. Staunch in the belief that Merlin and Gilgorgon will be able to stave off any number of the dark elves that can come against them, it seemed obvious that we needed to prevent them calling up any reinforcements. 

I wrote out our intentions in a message to the High Fairy. And then we turned our focus to our immediate problem – what to do about the dark elves here. 

I reasoned that even though they outnumbered us five to one, we should easily be able to bypass and leave them behind. 

Rumble agreed with me. But…

Noralei proposed that we trap and kill them all. I was aghast… and at the same time – found the bloodlust intensifying within me too. 

Dunfallon was all for trapping them, but I do not believe he was thinking of anything beyond that. 

That is when I heard sniggering coming from the Will’o’the Wisp’s cage.

The Fairy Diary Day 318 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I received a note back from the High Fairy. He reported that the advance of Nililitil’s forces has stalled before the fortifications of the stronghold mentioned by our dwarfish guides. They are despairing of taking it any time soon. All attempts to circumvent the city have been blocked and they observe dark elf troops coming and going via the Low-way. 

There was some good news, his excellency added that Merlin says that Gilgorgon and his dwarves are fully prepared to repel any dark elves coming their way. (Merlin would prefer to move the dragon eggs, but Gilgorgon refuses. The wizard has a concern that possession of the eggs is having an undue influence on him).

Our guides tell us that we are two villages away from the passage spur that branches to the east and ultimately to the mountain of the Gilgorgon dwarves. They keep us going at a good pace but do dwell on entertaining histories at certain points we pass. Dunfallon uses the opportunity to school them in pixie traps and even leaves a few examples. 

Noralei confides to me that the further along we go on the Low-way the stranger she feels. I sense it too. I can only call it what she does. A rising bloodlust. 

The Fairy Diary Day 309 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Merlin made no demands of us before he departed. Neither commanding us to stay nor to continue on. He only asked that we consider carefully our next step. 

This was what we wanted to do anyway. Though each one of us was willing to soldier on, we took his advice to heart and paused to weigh our decision. We wanted to be absolutely sure we had a call to go on. 

On the face of it we were unsure what we small folk could do against such a large force. Hitherto we had considered ourselves as just scouts for the greater forces of our allies. 

Rumble this time surprised us all with his suggestion that we set pixie traps to whittle down the numbers of the dark elves. And further he said he could come up with a fairy trick or two that could be equally effective. 

This won Dunfallon’s vote. 

Noralei was silent in thought throughout these martial pronouncements. So, I asked what troubled her. 

She replied that she felt a rising bloodlust within her that, in fact, scared her. 

Then she said something else that fell on our ears like a blow. 

We have seen the dark elf warriors, but where are their women and children?